It’s funny how we anticipate the winter holidays and turkey and ham dinners with all the sides. But after a few days of remaking the leftovers into something different, we begin to crave a complete change of taste and maybe even something out of the ordinary.
Since this is the beginning of one of the busiest times of year, it’s also good to have a quick option for family meals, leaving more time to attend holiday parties and church and school programs, or just to complete all the extra chores, like writing letters for Christmas cards and wrapping gifts.
For a change of pace from the typical American holiday fare, my family enjoys Mexican food, like the following recipe for Mexican pizza. Not only does it satisfy that craving for something different, but also it’s easy to make.
The pizza makes a great snack for holiday parties. However, if you want to serve it for dinner, you can easily add a vegetable and salad and have a meal ready for you family in no time at all.
MEXICAN PIZZA
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (12-inch) prepared pizza crust (either homemade or bought)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/4-1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup prepared salsa (your choice)
Crushed plain tortilla chips or Fritos
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the ground beef and add taco seasoning and cook on LOW until no longer pink, stirring continually so it doesn’t stick to pan.
Cover lightly greased pizza pan with pizza crust and spread the ground beef/taco seasoning mix over the crust. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted. (If you make your own crust, bake it first for about 10 minutes before adding the beef and cheese and then bake it for another approximately 10 minutes.)
Remove from oven and spoon salsa evenly over the beef/cheese topping. Sprinkle shredded lettuce over salsa and sprinkle with sliced green onions and sliced black olives. Top with several handfuls of crushed tortilla chips or Fritos and serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
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Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
